Global average solar power project size 2015, by region
Solar energy project – additional information
Global solar energy demand has been increasing exponentially over the last decade as solar photovoltaic power has evolved from small scale applications to one of the fastest growing electricity sources. Recognized as a promising renewable energy technology, countries around the globe have started to develop various solar energy projects. Large utility-scale projects were more common in developing countries, while developed countries tended to be more involved in smaller-scale projects. In 2015, South America and Africa had, on average, the largest solar energy projects worldwide, with 64 and 45 megawatt solar energy projects on average, respectively.
For a few years, growth of solar energy was mainly driven by Germany and other pioneering countries, however, many other countries have been recently catching up. As of 2015, the largest solar PV power plants largely came from India and the United States. For examples, Gujarat, a province in India, had one of the largest solar power plants with a capacity of 850 megawatts. In terms of newly installed solar PV capacity, China and Japan were the global leaders in 2015. China accounted for around 30 percent of global newly installed grid-connected PV capacity, with Japan at 22 percent. Together with Germany, United States and Italy, these five countries topped the list as the biggest markets for solar photovoltaic installations.